Public safety digest

Castroville man sentenced in baby-slaying case

A 47-year-old man was sentenced Friday to 25 years to life in prison for killing a 10-month-old Castroville girl and dumping her body in a diaper bag in Salinas before fleeing to Mexico.

Monterey County officials determined Jesus Vargas Espinoza, of Castroville, had custody of Angelle Negron for two weeks prior to her death. According to a release from the Monterey County District Attorney's office, witnesses said Espinoza admitted to striking Negron with a belt and his hand in the time period.

After her death on Valentine's Day, Espinoza buried the baby girl naked in a diaper bag in Salinas before attempting to flee on a Greyhound bus to Mexico. He was intercepted in Los Angeles by the FBI despite a haircut altering his appearance.

A forensic examination revealed the baby died of blunt trauma to her head.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office Investigations Team and the Monterey County DA's Office worked in tandem to complete the investigation.

Six-burglary string results in Sacramento arrest for Salinas man

A 27-year-old man was arrested for a string of six burglaries after fleeing to Sacramento, according to a Salinas Police Department report.

Joe Navarette was investigators' focus until he reportedly fled to Sacramento. He was arrested on Friday with the help of the Sacramento Police Department who surveilled the targeted residence and took him into custody after a traffic stop.

Two Salinas detectives drove to Sacramento to bring him back to the area. He was transferred to the Monterey County Jail for six counts of armed robbery.

SPCA seizes 61 animals in follow-up to 'rescue' case

Sixty-one animals, including a pot bellied pig, were seized Wednesday during a raid on Crystal Kisicki's Squaw Valley residence, according to a release from the Central California SPCA.

Kisicki, who runs St. Francis All Creature Rescue and Sanctuary, is currently under investigation by the Monterey County SPCA after 14 dogs and puppies, one kitten and two birds were seized Tuesday during an alleged adoption event in Sand City.

On Wednesday, investigators followed up at her Squaw Valley residence, one of at least three she maintains. During the investigation, they found 48 birds, nine dogs, three cats and one pig in various stages of emaciation, according to the release.

Investigators described the scene as "deplorable."

Dogs on 3-foot chains and two feral cats had no access to food or water. A third cat was contained in a large enclosure filled with empty food bags, trash, bags of clothes, buckets of soiled litter and two kiddie pools full of what appeared to be human feces.

All animals are now housed at the CCSPCA for further assessment.

The investigation is ongoing, said Beth Caffrey, CCSPCA director of community relations. No formal charges have been filed against Kisicki, however, several other residences have been targeted for investigation.

Monterey County investigators were first tipped off to the potential abuse by two individuals who adopted puppies last month from Kisicki at Petco in Monterey. Veterinarian examinations proved one suffered from scabies and fleas and was very thin, the other was inflicted with pustules, alopecia and an overall skin infection.

Seventeen of Kisicki's animals were seized from last week by the Monterey County SPCA.

Body found near beach may be Marin County diver

Officials may have recovered the body of a Marin County diver who went missing over the weekend at San Carlos Beach, according to Monterey police Lt. Leslie Sonné.

Several divers were about 20 to 30 yards offshore Friday morning when they discovered a dead man floating on a bed of kelp, she said. As they were toting the body to the shore Monterey Police Department officials arrived to assist.

Although clearly male, the body hasn't yet been identified as the individual who went missing Sunday, Sonné said. Because of the proximity of the body's discovery and the location the man went missing Sunday, the body is likely his, she said.

PG sees series of auto burglaries

On Thursday, there were seven reports of auto burglaries and thefts from vehicles in and around the 300 block of Gibson Avenue, the Pacific Grove Police Department said.

The thefts occurred sometime between midnight and 7:30 a.m. Most of the targeted vehicles were unlocked and there were no signs of forced entry on the locked vehicles, police said.

Only spare coins that had been left in the vehicles were taken.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pacific Grove Police Department at 831-648-3143.

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Public safety digest

A 47-year-old man was sentenced Friday to 25 years to life in prison for killing a 10-month-old Castroville girl and dumping her body in a diaper bag in Salinas before fleeing to Mexico.